Spool stand



Aug. 20, 1929. 5, PORT 1,725,368

SPOOL STAND Filed Oct. 15, 1926 mmvron;

A TTORNEYS Patented Aug. 20, 1929.

UNITED STATES BORIS PORT, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

SPOOL STAND.

Application filed October 15, 1926. Serial No. 141,694.

The invention relates to spool stands, and particularly to spool stands for household {and similar use where a short length of thread of one kind or. another is frequently llll demand, although the invention is not (confined to such use. It can be used in many places, for sewing thread, darning ,cotton, twine or cord and anything else to which it is adapted. V

The objects of the invention are to provide a spool stand wherefrom the desired kind and length of thread may be most congveniently secured; to enable drawing the exact length of thread desired and no more; to prevent additional thread being drawn when attempting to sever the length desired; to provide means for gripping the thread after the desired length is drawn; to [permit the user to draw the thread, cause the thread to be gripped and out the thread by use of one hand and without change of hold on the thread; to provide a thread cutter upon which one will not cut his fingers; to enable a plurality of spools to be assembled without their various thread ends be- {coming tangled; to provide a compact ar- =rangement of parts with a neat and convenient assembly thereof in a case; to retain the one spool being used in its proper relation to the cutter; to secure simplicity of construction and operation, and to obtain other advantages and results as may be brought out by the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, {in which like characters of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a plan of a spool holder embodying my invention, the cover for the case not being shown;

Figure 2 is a side elevation ofmy invention, partlyin central vertical section;

Figure 3 IS a perspective view of the preferred construction of the guiding and gripping means;

Figure 4 is a similar perspective view of a modified construction of guiding and gripping means. v

Figure 5 is a face view of the thread cutter, and

Figure 6 is an underneath view of the spool-carrying table showing its positioning I notches.

In the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in said drawings, the referwhich, by gravity ence numeral 1 indicates a suitable base, which in this instance is shown as the lower section of a case having a hinged lid 2 thereto. Any suitable base may, however, be employed. Rotatably mounted on said base, as by a pivot or bolt 3, is a rotary table 4 which is preferably circular with the pivot or bolt 3 concentric therewith. Upstandin from this table at the central part thereo -I have shown a cylindrical housing 5 which receives at its top a removable pin cushion [6 forming a removable closure for said housing. WVithin the housing is provided an appropriate support 7 for a thimble 8.

Likewise upstanding from said table are a plurality of spindles 9 of suitable size and length to receive spools of thread 10 thereon with proper degree of'freedom to enable the spools to be easily turned in pulling thread therefrom. In the present disclosure I have shown several of said spindles arranged in a circle upon the table, but the number and arrangement are not confined to the exact disclosure of the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only.

Preferably opposite the spindles at the edge of the table and upstanding in parallel relation with said spindles, are a plurality of supports, one to each spindle, and here shown as sheet metal extensions 11 turned up from the edge of the sheet metal table. The upper ends of said supports are shown curled over to provide trunnion supports 12 for guiding and gripping means 13, next to be described.

The guiding and gripping means, reference now being had more particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3, is shown to be a device or otherwise, normally rests in one position, which in the present showing is horizontal, but may be swung out of that position by angular tension on the thread guided by said means. For utilization of gravity, I have shown said means as comprising a lever with a long arm 14 and a short arm 15, a transverse trunnion pin 16 being provided therebetween and supported in the trunnion supports 12 above-men- .tioned. A stop 17 is provided above the short arm of the lever which is arranged preferably to prevent further swing of the lever when it arrives at substantiallya horizontal position. The thread is suitably guided so as to pass along the surface of the lever where engaged by the stop, which accordingly applies a holding tension on the thread when the lever is in engagement with the stop, but will entirely remove that holding tension when the lever is swung away from engagement with the stop. In the figures now being described, the lever is shown with a tapered tubular long arm 14"wh1ch provides strength, weight and appropriate guiding means. The inner end or short arm of the lever is shown flatso as to obtain an 'eiitended surface for catching the thread against the stop, and an upturned end with a hole 18 therein for guiding the thread to always be between the gripping fiat portion 15 of said lever and the stop.- For ease 1n threading through said hole, the metal forming said upturned end may be diagonally slit as shown'or otherwise arranged to providea restricted opening 180 to the hole 18 120 for lateral entry of the thread into said hole. As a further constructional feature of the -showing being described, the upper epds of said supports are curled outwardly 1n the direction of the long arm of the lever, and thestop is mounted on the other or inner "side of the'support, thereby securing sufficient distance between the trunnion of the ,lever and the stop to obtain appropriate leverage. It may also be here noted, that the said'supports are preferably substantially the height of the usual spool of thread which positions the lever adjacent the upperend of the spool.

' A single cutter for all of the threads carriedby the spools on the table is preferably employed." In the present showing, the cutter comprises a razor blade 19 suitably mounted in fixed position relative to the spool table at one side ofthe base 1 oppo- "40 site the table. 'Any appropriate clamping means 20 may retain said blade in place against a rest 201, and said rest preferably has a V-shaped guideway 202 in 1ts upper edge to guide the thread downward to a slit '45 203 across which the edge ofthe blade 19 "extends. 'By this construction, the thread is readily brought into engagement with the cutter and yet ones fingers cannot come into contact with said cutter, so that there is'no danger of injury. Obviously, the blade 19 1 may be placed at any suitable angle or elevation found desirable in constructing the *invention. The table is, as indicated, rotatable, so that any spool desired may be T brought around next to the cutter, and the thread drawn for the desired length from the spool and then swung down against the -cutter for severing the thread.

- In order to hold the table against rotat- -66.0 ing inadvertently I preferably provide a spring detent operating between the base and the table which will hold the table until positively moved from its position. In the'present disclosure, said detent is shown 0365 as a: resilient wire arm 21 with a shoulder rmases a a r j s the spool of thread desired is the one next to the cutter; The end of the thread is normallyleft threaded through the guiding and gripping means so the end of the thread is accessible and readily taken holdof by the user. The user thereupon draws upon the thread, applying the tension in an upward direction sutlicient to raise the guiding and gripping lever away from its normal or horizontal position, thus releasing the gripping action ofthe stop and lever arm on the thread. While pulling on the thread in this fashion, as long a length as desired may be drawn off,'and when enough is had, the end being pulled on is naturally swung down so as to engage the other end oft-he thread with the cutter. That lowering action results in the guiding and gripping lever swinging back to normal position, and as soon as it does so, the thread is gripped between the short arm of the lever and the stop. Then asthe user pulls downwardly on the thread to engage it with the cutter, the additional tension exerted will cause the thread to be even more securely gripped, and with the thread thus held taut, it is readily severed when brought into contact with the "cutter. Obviously the entire operation is "one which 'isquitcinstinctively performed by the operator, and requires no particular "attentionor thought and use only of the one 'hand holding the end of the threach I deem it within the scope of the invention to alter many of the mechanical'em bodiments, it being appreciated, for instance, that the gripping of the thread might just :as well be between 'a stop for the long arm "of the lever instead of the short arm. 7

Illustrative of these specific variations, I have shown a lever 23 in Figure 4: having a long orlieavyarm 24c and a short or relatively light arm 25 with'intermediate pivoting meanssuchas trunnion pin 26 passing through: depending 'ears 27 onsaid lever, said pin being'fcarried by suitable inturned ears 28 on a support 29; The end of the support then acts as a stop, and the thread is suitably guided as throughholes 30, 31

and 32 to lie between the long lever arm 24 and the upper end ofsaid support or stop.

Itwill be noted that after the thread has guiding means remains held or clamped thereby, so that .it is ready to be grasped and released by upward"movement' when another needleful or other portion is wanted.

been cut off the end projecting from the w "Such Holding or clamping preventsany possibility of the ends from different spools be coming drawn out further or tangled together, inadvertently, and ensures that they are always in place and in order. Furthermore, the clamping or holding is secured automatically, when the thread is cut, gravity in the case of the swinging guide and gripping means causing them to remain in down ward gripping position.

Obviously other detail changes and modifications may be made in the construction and use of my improved spool holder, and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact constructions shown or specifically described, except as set forth in the following claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A spool stand comprising means for supporting a spool, a cutter, and a gripping lever between said spool-supporting means and cutter to which the thread is slidably secured longitudinally thereof, said cutter being so disposed with respect to the gripping lever as that when the free end portion of the thread is swung toward the cutter the gripping lever grips the thread before it engages the cutter.

2. A spool stand comprising means for supporting a spool, a horizontally disposed gripping lever to which the thread is slidably secured longitudinally thereof, and a stationary cutter at the opposite end of said gripping lever from said spool-supporting means and low enough so that when the free end portion of the thread is swung toward the cutter the gripping lever grips the thread.

3. A spool stand having means for gripping the thread from said spool, said means comprising a lever pivoted intermediate its ends with one arm adjacent said spool and having means for guiding the thread along said lever beneath the same, and a stop for gripping the thread between itself and said lever, said stop being positioned beneath the arm of said lever farthest from the entry of the thread from the spool.

4. A spool stand having means for gripping the thread from said spool, said means comprising a lever with one arm heavier than the other and having means for guiding the thread along said lever beneath its heavier arm, and a stop beneath said heavier arm for gripping the thread between itself and said lever.

5. A spool stand having means for gripping the thread of a spool, said means comprising a stop, a lever normally engaging said stop by gravity, and means for guiding the thread between said stop and lever and connecting it to the latter to move up and down therewith, whereby the thread is released by sWinging its free end upward.

6. A spool stand having means for gripping the thread of a spool, said means comprising a stop, a lever normally engaging said stop by gravity, means for guiding the thread between said stop and lever and connecting it to the latter to move up and down therewith, and a cutter lower than the lever positioned, to be engaged by the thread beyond said lever.

7. The combination with a spool support and a cutter, of an intermediate gripping lever having at its opposite ends means for threading the thread therethrough and exposing it between said opposite ends, and a fixed stop for engaging the thread where so exposed upon the gripping lever.

BORIS PORT. 

